1. I have a lot of records in my office, and I’m running out of storage space. Can I go ahead and dispose of the records? Before disposing records, first contact the records management officer to find out if the records in question have a records retention schedule. A retention schedule details the records and specifies how long the University is required to keep them. The records management officer will need the Section Number and Title found in the State College and University Retention Schedule along with the date range and also the amount which can be measured by the equivalent of a banker’s box or standard file cabinet drawer. After the records management officer has approved these records, you may place these records in the secure shred bins.
2. If I have received authorization to destroy documents, do I need to submit any forms? No. Once the records management officer has given proper authorization to dispose of documents, they will send the completed "Report on Records Destroyed" form on your behalf. This form is proof of destruction in case these particular records are ever called into question at a later date.
3. Do retention schedules apply to copies of documents – for instance, those forwarded as correspondence, or duplicated for reference? The retention schedules apply only to the official copies of the University's records. They do not apply to convenience, informational, or duplicate copies, which may be destroyed when no longer needed for reference.
4. Where can I find a list of the records I need to keep? Visit SC Dept of Archives and History’s Records Management Schedules and click on the link “General Records Retention Schedules for State Colleges and Universities.” You will be able to view the PDF of this schedule online and/or download it for reference.
5. There are two types of schedules: general and specific. What’s the difference? General retention schedules apply to records common to all University Departments. Specific retention schedules apply to records that are not listed in the general retention schedule, but the University has determined should be maintained according to a specific schedule and approved by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. If you have records that fit this description please contact the records management officer at by emailing: library@lander.edu.
6. My department has both paper and electronic copies of the same documents; will there be different retention schedules for each? If a department maintains records in two different formats (in this case, paper and electronic), they will have to decide which is the official copy for the department and the university, and which is the reference copy. Only the official copy is covered under the general retention schedule. No reporting is necessary if the reference copy is destroyed before the retention period is met. However, if both record types are kept through the scheduled retention period, both record types must be destroyed at the same time.
7. What do I do with items that need to be transferred to the University Archives for permanent storage? Call the library 864-388-8365 or email library@lander.edu to make arrangements for these items to be picked up.
8. Where are the secure bins located? There are three in the Print Shop and five in the Financial Aid office.
9. What if I have a large quantity to destroy at once? Please ask someone to unlock the containers for easier insertion. All items must be placed inside the bins. Nothing should be left on top or stacked beside these containers.
10. What if I need to destroy items that are not listed in the Retention Schedule? Can I use the secure bins? If these items contain confidential information, you may place them in the secure bins, but you do not need to report them. If they do NOT contain confidential information, you can place them in your recycling bins.
11. Do the records management guidelines apply only to paper records? No, public records include “all books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, recordings, or other documentary materials regardless of physical form, including paper, microfilm, electronic records (such as thumb drives), films, etc.”